Cardboard Play Ideas by Age Group to Enhance Childcare

[Ages 3 and up] Hamburger Play Set

[Made from Cardboard] Burger Play Set [Craft]

Let’s make a hamburger set out of cardboard and play together.

All you need are flat cardboard and hook-and-loop fasteners.

Sketch shapes to match the ingredients—circles, squares, etc.—on the cardboard and cut them out.

Use paints to create your favorite ingredients like tomatoes, lettuce, fried eggs, and bacon.

Don’t forget to make the buns, too.

If you attach hook-and-loop fasteners on both sides, you can enjoy stacking them in various ways.

You could even make a lot and open a pretend burger shop.

Have fun making delicious hamburgers!

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[Ages 4 and up] DIY Concentration (Memory Matching Game)

[Cardboard] You can make a game with cardboard that gets everyone this excited!!

With cardboard, you can make a Concentration (memory) game that even small children can play.

Draw spaces for the cards on a flat piece of cardboard, and draw two of each picture on the cards.

Choose motifs the children like to make the game even more fun.

First, make sure they understand the basic rules: if they flip two matching pictures, they keep the cards; if not, they turn them back over.

Once they’re used to the rules and the basic flow, it’s fine to increase the variety of cards.

Concentration can be played with any number of players and is compact enough for indoor play.

You’ll be treated to the heartwarming sight of kids trying their best to remember the pictures.

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[Ages 5 and up] Handmade Ring Toss

[Craft] Only 2 materials needed! How to make a ring toss

Here’s how to make a ring toss game using a cardboard box and a plastic wrap core—materials that are easy to find in any household.

The best part is that you can play with it after making it! Hold the wrap core against the cardboard box and trace around it with a pencil to make circles.

It’s better if the circles aren’t too close together.

Next, cut out the circles with a utility knife—an adult or teacher should do this.

Once the holes are made, insert the wrap cores into them, write point values as you like, and you’re done.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Pompom Stamps [Ages 1 and up]

Using 100-yen shop tools! Let’s make easy upcycled stamps ♪ [Cardboard craft]

Why not try making stamps using cardboard? First, make the paint-applying part out of sponge.

Use a template to cut it into your preferred size and shape.

Next, reinforce the cut sponge by attaching a piece of cardboard of the same shape to it.

Then roll a strip of cardboard that you’ve cut to a suitable size into a spiral, and attach it to the stamp as a handle—that’s it! The handle is thick and short, making the stamp easy for children to hold.

Try incorporating it as a stamp for all kinds of craft projects.

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[Ages 4–5] Ball Rolling

[Easy Craft] Rolling Ball: Make and Play with Cardboard! [For Ages 4–5]

How about making a ball-rolling game using cardboard and milk cartons? To be mindful of allergies, it’s safest to choose cartons that contained tea.

First, cut the carton in half lengthwise.

Next, stick on your favorite animal designs.

If you use construction paper and size it big enough to cover the carton, it looks cute.

Then, attach the cartons to a piece of cardboard cut to about 40 cm by 30 cm.

Install two cartons, adjusting their angles and spacing so the ball rolls easily.

Add decorations to the background cardboard, and you’re done!

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Pretend Play with a Smartphone [Ages 2 and Up]

Role-play fun is in full swing! A smartphone made from cardboard

For children, a smartphone or computer is probably one of those things they want to have.

Let’s make a smartphone that looks real and use it for pretend play.

First, cut three pieces of cardboard to smartphone size, glue them together to add thickness, and let them dry.

Once dry, round off the corners and draw the screen frame.

To make it look like it’s in a case, you can glue wrapping paper to the back, and for the front screen, draw your favorite picture or attach a photo to give it an even more realistic finish.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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[Ages 0–2] Let’s play with a cardboard house

[Ages 0–2] A Cardboard House

If you combine big cardboard boxes to make a house, you can climb inside and play—it’s really fun.

Making furniture like a bed and TV, or creating doors and windows, makes it feel like you’ve got your very own home.

Boxes for lighter products like diapers or tissues tend to be thin, so try to use thicker ones if possible.

It’s also nice to share ideas with everyone and decide what to make together.

Draw pictures or paste paper to create your original house.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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